Posts Tagged county commissioners
Does Plain Dealer Shy Away from Rapping Bill Mason?
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Media, People, Politicians on December 18, 2009
Did The Plain Dealer kill a story on Prosecutor Bill Mason because of the paper’s so – maybe too – close relationship with the people behind Issue 6 – Cuyahoga County Reform?
County reform has become a crusade for the Pee Dee. And it has been so far a successful drive. Issue 6 passed rather easily with the paper’s backing. A good deal of the credit for passage goes to the PD for its concentration on corruption in county government. It set a tone – a climate for change – voters heard.
So that’s why it is interesting that the paper appears to shy away from one politician.
But the Cleveland Independent, a new alternative paper, this week published a piece on Mason and his political patronage problems. The problems seem strikingly familiar to those of other politicians that the Pee Dee vigorously and dramatically spanks. You’ve seen the stories, big headlines, many photographs of the “guilty.”
Although the Independent’s article doesn’t mention the reporter who did the story on Mason, it appears it is Joe Wagner, a hard-nosed veteran reporter of city politics.
Wagner doesn’t say that a story he wrote was killed but he does say, “Ah, I was told it was tabled.” That’s all he would say.
Must be a long table.
James Renner of the Independent wrote that the story was “pulled” by metro editor Chris Quinn.
Quinn said that the PD wasn’t “holding back” any story on Mason. He said that the paper had done a number of pieces about patronage issues on a number of officials that “we felt strongest about.”
He said nothing of Wagner’s comment.
Others have complained to me privately that they believe Mason has special cover at the Pee Dee and that critical stories about him are suppressed.
The Independent story names a host of patronage hires at Mason’s office.
Mason could become the most powerful politician here once County reform happens. He will hold one of the few elected offices. Some politicians believe he will have much to say about who is elected County Chief and in a number of instances new County Commissioners. Issue 6 called for 11 commissioners to be elected next year.
The article in the Independent is on line and has photos of the people named with their connection to Mason and friends.
Read it here:
http://www.clevelandindependent.com/2009/12/18/payroll-politics-cuyahoga-county-prosecutor/
Cimperman Jumps Out on Cuyahoga County Executive Quest
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on November 27, 2009
November 27, 2009… Joe Cimperman started his campaign to be the first Cuyahoga County Executive today. If you don’t think so, you don’t know the ambitious Joe Cimperman.
Cimperman at a meeting with MMPI’s Mark Falanga a week ago asked Falanga if he would commit to having four meeting on the Medical Mart and Convention Center. Cimperman asked at a Council meeting. It appeared to me that he meant Falanga would appear before Council for more questioning. Of course, Falanga – holding on to a deal valued at $425 million – said, why sure, Mr. Councilman.
It was a mutual admiration society.
Anyone listening would have considered the offer and acceptance meant a meeting before City Council members. It was at such a meeting that the two exchanged agreement. And it made some sense since Falanga had determined the shortness of the meeting by scheduling an early flight back to Chicago.
Now, however, the scheduling of the four meetings appears to be outside the boundaries of City Council. The structure of four meetings has one each on planning, economic impact, architecture and the Mall site. Each meeting will have an already chosen facilitator, none Council members.
So Council is left OUT. Cimperman’s campaign, however, is indeed very much IN.
Cimperman has four meeting in which Cimperman can play the leading part. Council has been iced out.
The County Executive job opening was created by the vote for Issue 6, a constitutional amendment that calls for Cuyahoga County to dump its three commissioners for an elected chief and 11-member elected district county council.
Cimperman came to Council in 1997, playing a young sincere activist with energy to make change. He quickly became a young man on the make, taking as much money as he could from downtown movers and shakers.
“This project has to move forward. It’s too critical for the region, for the economy. We just gotta put our heads down and get this thing done,” Cimperman told The Plain Dealer.
And I need a platform from which to run for higher office, something I’ve always wanted. Cimperman didn’t have to utter those words.
You may remember that Cimperman’s ambitions caused him to run against the sitting Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich in 2007. Cimperman got some 35 percent of the vote in the 10th Congressional District race. Kucinich got 52 percent.
Cimperman would like to be Mayor but that seems out of the question. He likely would have run for County Commissioner had Issue 6 failed. Now, he’s left with the one opening.
So Cimperman is about to scratch that ambition itch again. Never too early to start. The $175,000 position begins in January 2011. Here we go!